Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

This is a discussion on Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in within Superbikes & Imports, part of the Motorbikes category; Originally Posted by Sojogator
The climb was done in 5th and 6th gears (That Torque !!!Monstrous !),
Mate,
Not to ...

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Quote:

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Mate,
Not to doubt your statement, are you sure the bike turned those hairpins in the 5th and 6th gear? You mean all those 40 curves ?

As I told, a few of those curves, 5-10 maybe had a vehicle in front and shifting down was required.

But for the remaining free ones, 5th and 6th were enough. This was how the hairpins were taken on.

1. around 40-50kmph on 6th before the hairpin.
2. Brake to around 25 kmph, shift to 5th.
3. Take the curve in 5th around 25-30kmph. accelerate to around 40-45kmph, shift to 6th and carry on.
4. Brake to around 25kmph, shift down..
5. Repeat

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojogator

As I told, a few of those curves, 5-10 maybe had a vehicle in front and shifting down was required.

But for the remaining free ones, 5th and 6th were enough. This was how the hairpins were taken on.

1. around 40-50kmph on 6th before the hairpin.
2. Brake to around 25 kmph, shift to 5th.
3. Take the curve in 5th around 25-30kmph. accelerate to around 40-45kmph, shift to 6th and carry on.
4. Brake to around 25kmph, shift down..
5. Repeat

Bro Congratulations on a lovely bike. Loved your write up.

Secondly buddy, its an 800 cc inline four. The above sounds a lot like you are lugging the bike. A very bad thing to be doing during run-in. Worse than over revving it. From what I gather (never having done Nandi hills myself), a lot of those hairpins are quite steep?

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonho

Bro Congratulations on a lovely bike. Loved your write up.

Secondly buddy, its an 800 cc inline four. The above sounds a lot like you are lugging the bike. A very bad thing to be doing during run-in. Worse than over revving it. From what

Thanks

It didn't feel like the engine is getting stressed. I mean no vibs/sounds/knock.
I tried to make sure that I was not stressing her. Higher gears meant I could keep it under 4K rpm limit throughout. While going down, the lower gears clearly helped through engine braking.

But yes, i should have used lower ones and left her ability-experiment for a later time.

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonho

Speaks about the tractability and tune of the motor. 25 kmph is still way too low for an inline four 800 cc bike to be doing in 5th gear (which would/should be topping out over 200).

That's usually the rule of thumb and the indication you should have got too no? Same gear going up as coming down.

Tractable it is ! I have been using her for my daily commute to office. No issues at all, except the pondering eyes around you. And since the temperature in bangalore have plummeted down to around early 30s at max, the heat has become a non issue as well. The puddles of water and mud has been handled pretty well as well. Soft ground is a massive problem though, due to its weight. In one instant, the front wheel just went into the ground under lightest of braking(soil and no tarmac of course). Stopped and continued. No harm done.

Yes I do realise, now, I should have used 3rd 4th and 5th instead for that little distance. The gearing is pretty small too. I mean, goes only at 85-90 at 4K RPM on the 6th. I am still wondering how it would go to 235-40kmph in another 6-7K RPM without throwing me away from her Maybe the magic would happen at 8K RPM where the torque peaks.

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

With the first rains, cooling the earth down and pissing off farmers, the craters turned into watering holes and roads, more like soil trails, have turned into muck conveyor belts.
Roadbuster, meanwhile, has been doing the to and from office duties without any hiccups. The road beside the bellandur looked like a death trap in the lights of her but not one jittery moment. Tires sticking well I believe, though I was extra careful to not skid in that monstrosity of a road. The tarmac was covered throughout by around a cm or two of wet, brown, slimy muck, all ready to consume someone who loses concentration for a fraction of a second! Mighty impressed by Roadbuster they way she handled that road. I would have been fishtailing on my R15 throughout

Also, riding my old beloved is turning out to be a pain now. I cannot see more than 3 feet away, I cannot overtake without rocket science calculations of time and distance. I need to shift gears all the time. I don't feel planted enough. RPM needle moves but I can hardly feel a thing ! A typical case of getting used to Rosie Huntington Whiteley ( Yes, I am a big fan of hers ) while all this time you had been happy with Kareena Kapoor !

Through the muck and water means it has also picked up quite a bit of the road and brought, to home, with her, like a 3 year old does when left in the mud for the first time.

I did not want to scratch her while cleaning, hence use just water and a cloth to clean her up. Detailed cleaning would be done at the SS on the 25th Apr, which is booked as she is due for 1st servicing then.

A couple of small buckets put her back to respectable condition.

Last fill of SHELL Super meanwhile meant she ran 262 kilometers on ~14 litres, taking ODO to 702 KMs. Filled her up with normal SHELL again.
Heating seems to have reduced further. Whether that is because of the weather, me getting used to or what I don't know. Either way it is better

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojogator

I did not want to scratch her while cleaning, hence use just water and a cloth to clean her up.

That's some muck you have got there.

Buy the Bosch Aqua Pump and that it should be more than handy to clear off all this muck. Ensure that you do not aim it directly to the radiator lest the cooling fins getting damaged/bent reducing their effectivity.

Only Point to ponder when water & Muck hit the burning hot chrome bend pipes. You might be left over with some hard to get away stains.

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Quote:

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Buy the Bosch Aqua Pump and that it should be more than handy to clear off all this muck.

Mahesh, link and price please! I am a bit of wash-my-vehicles-myself-to-do-it-right-and-not-get-scratches-and-watermarks junkie and invariably have a hell of a backache come Sunday evening (the slot I keep for my washerman duties) after 2-3 hours spent doing the same.

Though yes, the washing is limited to my Storme and my Bullet and the KTM, sometimes the Baleno and the Zen (which otherwise get washed by the gardener/watchman - I only jump in for the more elaborate shampoo and polish routine).

I bought some crappy pipe and spray gun online which is a big farce and depends on how strong your water pressure is from the tap. So currently its toothbrush, cotton waste, diesel/blue soap, bucket, washcloth and microfiber, and garden hose.

ROI: Factor in 200 Rs for each wash to the big cars and 100 Rs for motorcycles that you do and you will know when the item can be written off

Looks good at 8000 odd bucks. But you need a long cable and an external power source? And is it run on running water or is the type that has a reservoir you will water into (rechargeable batter operated types)?

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonho

But you need a long cable and an external power source? And is it run on running water

Preferably have an wire extender to your nearest power socket depending on where you place the cars/bikes to be cleaned. The device also comes in wire around 10 feet. A regular 3 pin 10 Amps plug socket is sufficient.

Regarding the water connection, it should be connected to a typical garden tap.
When you are setting this up, ensure that there is no air leakage. This does not have suction power.

Re: Houston, we have a situation! Roadbuster - my Kawazaki Z800 - is coming in

As told earlier, monsoon, looks like, has decided to visit Bangalore early this time. This called for change of visor for my Revenge (Nope ! I won't do a bollywood khoon ka badla !!!)
That was done last night. World seemed especially clear today, through these. The shade, against the now-much-more-milder-sun of the older one was missed but monsoon has its demands else there would be water drops pelting my face, like heavy needles, in the dark as I would see as much a deer does in front of a headlight when visor is down and the roads are not lit by our below municipal corp. My ugle face is visible now, though ! The clear visor was bought, from Megha's first lot of Revenge, with the lid almost a year back now. Was finally used today and should stay on for the monsoon.Attachment 1361833Attachment 1361834

Also, the stuff I had ordered, for cleaning Roadbuster up every now and then, has arrived (People should have birthday more often or at least the gifts should ! Amazon Gift cards galore). The F1 bike clean is a 3 year 4 months old and has been returned immediately ! Tomorrow is a 'bandh' and I wanted to tank her up for Sunday but the sheer number of people, waiting to fill up their vehicles before the bunks run out of fuel, chased me away. So the cleaning happens tomorrow, with the, new, agents of dirt-destruction

1. Jopasu duster - brilliant reviews from everyone who has used it - Amazon
2. Jopasu Micro fiber cloth - Came with the duster, as a set - Amazon
3. 3M Shampoo - Wash her up, once in a while - Amazon
4. 3M Tyre Dresser - Necessary for the roads we got to keep her legs happy ! - Amazon